Fates of a Family
by DatNuttyKid
Summary: When they're not fighting battles, the warriors of Hoshido are almost like one big dysfunctional family. (Series of one-shots with some minor continuity between them. Various shippings included. Possible spoilers for Fates: Birthright.)
1. Simply Radish-ing

**Last year, for my birthday, my brother got me** _ **Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright**_ **. It was my first ever** _ **Fire Emblem**_ **game and I love it. Among other things, one of my favorite parts of the game are how developed all of the characters are even though there's a huge amount of them. So this is going to be a series of one-shots about my army and their wonderful interactions.**

 **Oh, and just to be clear, Nobu is the name of my avatar. I made it up randomly but turns out it can be randomly chosen by the game to be the name of an imprisoned Hoshidan soldier. So it actually seems pretty fitting.**

Hana was feeling a tad nervous as she scaled the ladder leading to Lord Nobu's private quarters. He had invited her and many other members of their army to visit several times before, but something in his tone when he asked her this time unsettled her.

She was so distracted wondering what he wanted that she forgot to knock, and when she opened the door she saw Nobu and Rinkah, who he had married just a few days prior, kissing on the bed. They quickly jumped apart and to their feet when they heard her.

"You two are as lovey-dovey as always!" she giggled, trying to lighten the mood. "That's OK. I'll just wait right here."

"Don't worry about it," Nobu responded, approaching her. "Here, have a seat at the table."

Hana complied, but this just made her more uncomfortable. Nobu was definitely all business this time.

"Hey, Nobu," came Silas's voice from the other side of the door. Hana tensed up. Suddenly, she had a theory. "Are you ready to hear more about the past?" he asked as Nobu opened the door for him.

"Not this time, Silas," Nobu responded. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something…"

"And what would that be?" he asked. As he stepped into the room, his eyes fell on Hana. "Oh."

"Yeah… why don't you have a seat?" Nobu said. Rinkah quickly excused herself. "So there's been a lot of… _friction_ between you two. It's making a lot of the members of our army uncomfortable, and I think it's affecting your actions on the battlefield. That last thing I need is for you to get yourselves or someone else hurt because of your petty disagreements."

"Got it," Silas said.

"We'll try not to fight," Hana agreed, and they both started to leave.

"Stop," Nobu called. They froze. "Your word isn't good enough this time. There's been some reports of Faceless attacking a nearby village. I want you two to go investigate and, if you can, take them down. If you can't, come back and we'll send out a proper army. Understand?"

Hana was the first to protest. "Lord Nobu, this is completely unnecessary. I'll just go out and scout myself! Silas will just slow me down."

"Excuse me?" Silas gasped, insulted. "I certainly wouldn't slow you down. If anything, _you_ would slow _me_ down. In fact, there's really no reason for you to come at all, because I'm sure I could handle the Faceless far faster and more skillfully than you ever could."

Before Hana could fire off a retort, Nobu stepped in between them. "This is exactly the problem I'm hoping to solve. Good luck."

Understanding that the discussion was over, Hana and Silas reluctantly left. "Don't you dare get in my way," Hana growled to him as they approached the exit of the castle.

"Don't _you_ dare get in _my_ way," Silas responded.

…

"Have you heard from Hana and Silas?" Azura questioned Nobu later that day as the army made their way to the mess hall, where Rinkah had prepared a meal.

"Not yet," Nobu responded. "It's an hour's walk to the village. Assuming the battle went well, they should be back shortly."

Sure enough, and almost before Nobu could say this, Azura and Nobu heard Hana and Silas's voices getting nearer. "They're talking to each other," Azura remarked. "That's a good sign, right?"

"Unless they're arguing," Nobu mused, straining to understand what they were saying. Suddenly, Silas's horse came into view, galloping rapidly with Silas riding it. Only a bit behind, almost able to keep up with the large creature, Hana was wielding a massive radish and chasing after them.

"GET BACK HERE SO I CAN BEAT YOU WITH YOUR OWN RADISH!" she shrieked as she ran past Nobu and Azura, who were left vaguely amused and speechless.

"I'm not going to ask for that battle report," Nobu decided. "I want to leave it to my imagination."

"Agreed."

 **Okay, so all of this actually has an in-game story to go with it… but like, I don't want to give you context because that would ruin the joke, lol. If you're desperate, feel free to message me or something.**

 **I'm coupling up Silas and Hana btw. They're currently A support and I really love them together :DDD and in case you couldn't tell, Nobu married Rinkah. Hence the mention of Nobu marrying Rinkah.**

 **Uh, yeah, read and review please! I'll update this whenever interesting relationship stuff happens. (I actually have an idea already…)**


	2. Irrelevant Advice

"Greetings, milord," Kagero greeted as Ryoma, her liege, strolled past.

"Good morning, Kagero," Ryoma responded, pausing in his trek. "How are you today?"

"Excellent, milord," the ninja answered. "Thank you for asking. And what are you up to?"

"Just enjoying this beautiful weather while I search for Takumi," Ryoma explained. "I was hoping he would be available for more training while the sun's out. Have you seen him?"

"In fact, I just passed him," Kagero replied. "He was standing by the mess hall."

"Thank you, Kagero," Ryoma said before heading off in that direction.

"Of course, milord."

…

"Takumi! There you are," Ryoma exclaimed. Sure enough, the moody prince was leaning just outside of the mess hall. "Are you ready to start training?" Takumi didn't seem to hear him, so, as he drew nearer, Ryoma repeated himself, "Are you ready to start training, Takumi?"

There was still no response, even though Ryoma was now close enough that anyone, particularly Takumi, who, as an archer, could hear things from far away, should be able to hear him. Determining that his younger brother must be distracted, Ryoma adjusted his body to look just over and in the same direction as Takumi's head, quickly spotting what must be the cause: a certain young maid, washing the army's laundry.

Ryoma smiled, quickly understanding. He lowered his head, putting his mouth right by Takumi's ear. "Something caught your eye?" he asked loudly. Takumi was caught off-guard and jumped forward while turning around to see who was behind him, catching his foot and falling to the ground in the process.

"Ryoma!" Takumi complained.

Ryoma chuckled. "Sorry, brother," he said, offering his hand to help him up. "I couldn't help but notice that you were a bit… distracted."

"What are you talking about?" Takumi asked, brushing the dirt off of his robe.

"I managed to sneak up on you," Ryoma stated. "In full armor."

Takumi started to argue but realized he couldn't. "Fine. I was maybe a little distracted. But it's not what you think."

"I see," Ryoma said thoughtfully. Takumi clearly wasn't going to admit to any infatuation with Felicia. "Well then, I suppose I shall leave you to whatever you were doing. Though, if I may offer a brotherly and completely irrelevant suggestion…" He placed his hand on Takumi's shoulder and leaned closer. "Talk to her."

Takumi scowled as Ryoma headed off, an expression that was quickly replaced when he turned to look at Felicia.

…

"Such gorgeous weather today!" Felicia mused aloud as she lifted a basket full of clothing, obscuring most of her sight. "I can finally hang this laundry out to dry!"

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" came a voice, but before Felicia could react, the basket had collided with the figure, knocking him and Felicia to the ground and spilling the clothes out of the basket and into the mud.

Several feet away, from behind the mess hall, Ryoma sighed. "I suppose Takumi is going to need training in other matters besides sword fighting," he remarked to no one in particular. "Ah well. Some other day."

 **um… that's pretty much all I got for this chapter. It's kind of short though. Sorry.**

 **I'm kind of surprised that no one else seems to ship Takumi and Felicia…? I guess it has to do with how people either despise or adore Takumi (leaving him either single or married to the avatar), but I think they're really cute together… oh well.**

 **Also, I like the idea of Ryoma trying to give Takumi advice on how to talk to Felicia and Takumi refusing to admit that he likes her. It seems to fit their family dynamic.**

 **Okay, that's all I have to say. Read and review, please!**


	3. The Mystery Man

**Oh my gosh this got so long...**

 **It's actually, like, three one-shots stitched together because my brain works weirdly. But they're all kind of themed around the Robin amiibo (which I own specifically for Fates, by the way), so I guess it's still kind of one "chapter". Just... a long one.**

 **ALSO: Takumi and Felicia.**

 **That is all.**

Takumi was fed up. It had been two days since this mysterious man had shown up and he was all anyone would talk about. It was bad enough when the rumors and gossip about him reached the sniper's ears as he wandered the camp, or even when Setsuna or Sakura or Scarlet or someone would approach him to see if the warrior had confided any secrets with him. But now even Felicia had been dragged into the gossip, and he found himself actually missing hearing her jabber about the Ice Tribe Village while they folded the army's laundry together.

"I don't see what the big deal is," he muttered to himself as he watched Sakura and Minori fawn over the stranger. His hair was white and ruffled, his pale face worn from a mysterious and tiring past but still gentle and kind. As the ladies spoke to him, no doubt trying to learn more about his unspoken history, a friendly smile and polite shake of the head preceded his no doubt negative response before he quickly excused himself, leaving his audience to discuss the meanings of any minor signs he may or may not have shown. A number of different theories

His observations were interrupted by a calm voice. "Is something the matter, Takumi?" He turned around to see Azura watching him.

"No," he responded simply, brushing past her. This was not a conversation he wanted to have.

"Oh, I see," Azura said thoughtfully. "I'm glad to hear that the presence of another mysterious, attractive male drawing the attention of our army's females to himself hasn't intimidated you."

Takumi scowled and stopped walking. "That's not at all the problem."

"Well, of course not," Azura agreed nonchalantly, stepping beside Takumi. "What would you possibly have to be intimidated by? It's not as though you have a particular interest in any of the women in this army. Do you?" Takumi wondered momentarily if Ryoma had snitched, or if Azura was simply that observant. "Furthermore," she continued before he could ask, "there are many qualities you possess that this stranger does not have."

"Really?" Takumi asked flatly, not convinced.

"Of course," Azura responded gently, putting a hand on Takumi's shoulder. "This man may be mysterious and distant, but he could never compete with your strength, your intelligence, your talent, and certainly not your passion. You are a unique and special person, Takumi. Any girl would be lucky to be the object of your affections."

Takumi crossed his arms, trying not to show how much her words affected him. "Whatever," he said, starting to walk away.

Unable to resist, Azura added, "Particularly a certain young maid…" Takumi's face turned bright red.

…

"Felicia!" a voice called, causing the certain young maid to jump and drop the robe she was attempting to hang to dry. She moaned and prepared to descend from the stepstool she had been using before noticing the mysterious man standing a short distance away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said, bending over to pick up the robe and offering it to Felicia. "If it helps, it didn't fall in the mud."

"Um… thank you," Felicia said, flustered as she took the robe and hung it up. "You're… Robin, right?" she asked, giving him her full attention.

"Correct," Robin affirmed. "I was hoping to speak to you about… erm, something."

"Oh! O-Okay," she said, carefully climbing off the stepstool. Robin offered his hand to help her keep steady. "What do you need?"

"I wanted to ask you about Nobu," he explained. "From my understanding, you've known him for… quite some time, yes?"

Felicia nodded eagerly. "Yes, I was the maid for King Garon in Nohr and helped care for Lord Nobu in his tower. Why do you ask?"

"I feel a strange connection to him," Robin said, distantly. "I can't quite remember why, but I feel like I may relate to his struggles. And perhaps… in a different battle, somewhere… I can't help but feel like we've met." Felicia's mouth was slightly agape as Robin's focus returned to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tell you all of that. My lost memories shouldn't be your concern."

"No, no, it's fine!" Felicia insisted. "It's just… really, really _confusing_. And I've never heard you say more than eight words at a time before." Robin blushed a bit, which was quite visible on his pale skin, but wasn't sure how to respond. "So what did you want to ask me?" Felicia said, trying to keep the conversation going.

"I suppose… I want to know more about Nobu. How he was raised. How his followers… his family, his friends see him, why they respect and follow him. I'm sure you have a lot of stories."

Felicia thought for a moment. "Well, Lord Nobu's childhood… um… I don't think I'm supposed to say. It was rough. He lived in the Northern Fortress and wasn't allowed to leave. He didn't really even remember anything, but he's always had this spark that makes everyone want to be close to him. There was this one time…"

…

"Lord Takumi!" Felicia beckoned as she approached the moody prince. Takumi was taken off-guard as she rarely approached him first. Nobu had recently announced that Robin had challenged them to a battle and Takumi was in the process of training, hoping to impress on the battlefield and, mostly, prove himself better than Robin.

"What's wrong, Felicia?" he asked. "Did you ruin the laundry _again_?"

Felicia pouted. "No! Why do you assume that I messed something up?" Takumi made a face. "Okay, fair enough. That's not what I want, though. See… I was kind of wondering if you would maybe train me in battle."

"Errrr… what?"

"Yeah! I've been working on my own for some time now," she explained. "I want to learn some new skills. I'm tired of being on the sidelines supporting everyone. I want to be a real warrior, and I think that this upcoming battle with Robin would be a great chance to show off to everyone what I've learned. And since you're so talented with both a bow and a sword… I thought you would be the best choice to help refine the skills I've already picked up. Will you?"

Takumi was flustered. It was one thing hearing that he was talented from Azura, since she was more-or-less his sister, but it was a completely new thing to be complimented by Felicia. "S-Sure," he finally said.

"Thank you so much!" Felicia cheered, suddenly hugging him and making the prince even more uncomfortable.

"Um… no problem," he responded, unsure whether to hug back or push her away.

Before he could come to a decision, she pulled away. "I can't wait for Robin to see me on the battlefield wielding a sword. Thank you, Lord Takumi!" With that, she skipped away, humming horribly off-key.

Takumi processed what just happened. On one hand, Felicia asked him to train her - spend more time with her - and called him talented. On the other hand, it was all to impress Robin. "Ugh."


	4. Lord Nobu's Keepers

After a long and tiring battle against a horde of Faceless, Nobu and the other soldiers were finally back to the castle. Sakura, Azama, and Minori were hard at work healing the injuries, mostly minor, sustained by the warriors. Although they had already finished with Nobu, he was still feeling rather sore and decided to spend some time in the hot springs.

After replacing his seemingly increasingly heavy armor with a lightweight robe in his private quarters, Nobu made his way to the springs when he suddenly heard a rustling from behind him. He quickly whirled around, wishing he had brought the Yato with him, just in time for two shurikens to fly over his head - one from his left side, and the other from the direction he had been facing moments prior.

"Show yourself!" came a demand. Nobu turned to his left to see the source of the voice: Kagero, perched atop the rock in the center of the castle. "Both of you!" She held two shurikens in her hand, prepared to fire them at any potential threat.

From the direction of the rustling, Kaze emerged from the bushes around Nobu's private quarters; opposite him stood Saizo, who had been hidden behind the smithy. Nobu was quite confused. "What's going on here? Why are you all attacking each other? Were you following me?"

"My apologies, Lord Nobu," Kagero said, leaping off of her perch and landing a few feet away from Nobu, who stepped back in surprise. "As I promised, I was watching you to be sure you remained safe when I heard your amateur retainer moving around in those bushes. Believing him to be a bandit, I reacted quickly."

"I am not an amateur, Kagero," Kaze said calmly. "I, too, was following Lord Nobu to make sure he stayed safe when I saw Saizo's shadow sneaking around the smithy. Due to his suspicious actions, I was going to warn Lord Nobu that he was being followed by an enemy when the two of you thoughtlessly hurled your shurikens at me."

"And what were you doing sneaking around the smithy, Saizo?" Kagero questioned. "You should be watching Lord Ryoma."

"So should you, Kagero," Saizo responded venomously. "I have been keeping an eye on Lord Nobu to make sure he isn't plotting anything."

"You dare to doubt the loyalty of the son of Lady Mikoto?" Kagero asked, once again brandishing a shuriken as she moved towards Saizo.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Nobu interrupted, stepping between the two retainers. "Calm down. The last thing we need is to be turning against each other." Kagero scowled, but put her weapon away. "Thank you all for trying to protect me. But next time, perhaps you should communicate before you all decide to follow the same person?"

"Indeed," Kaze agreed. "As his retainer, Lord Nobu is my responsibility. You two are responsible for Lord Ryoma's well-being and should focus on that instead."

"My protection of Lord Nobu is part of my protection of Lord Ryoma," Kagero argued. "If anything were to happen to him, Lord Ryoma would be devastated."

"I understand your concern, but I assure you that I am watching Lord Nobu constantly." Nobu's face turned red. He hadn't noticed Kaze following him before. "If anyone were to make an attempt on his life, I would deal with them."

"Yes, by alerting them to your presence and getting yourself killed," Saizo muttered.

"Okay, if you're just going to stand around arguing, I'm going to go on to the hot springs," Nobu said.

"You've been trained better than that, brother." "And you've been trained better than to antagonize members of the royal family." "He was raised in Nohr. Until he has proven himself, I refuse to leave myself open to betrayal." "You have no right to question his loyalty, Saizo!"

"Ooookay…" Nobu shrugged, sure that they would find him eventually as they had every time before, and headed off.

… **I don't know. I got C Support with Saizo and Kagero and thought it was funny that they're both stalking Nobu instead of protecting Ryoma, and then I figured that Kaze probably also stalked Nobu since he's his retainer (after A Support)… and then this happened.**


	5. That Which We Call A Hana

_Another beautiful day_ , Nobu thought as he strolled through the castle. _This Astral Realm sure is peaceful._ As he walked past the stables, he noticed Subaki inside, caring for his Pegasus. _Might as well stop and say hello_.

"Ah, Lord Nobu!" Subaki greeted when he saw the prince enter. "Good morning. What are you up to?"

"Good morning, Subaki. I was just taking a walk, enjoying the wonderful weather, when I saw you and thought I'd say hi."

"Well, it was nice of you to take the time to speak to me," Subaki said, going back to brushing his steed. "Congratulations, by the way. I heard you and Rinkah are expecting a child."

"Oh, uh, thank you," Nobu said, flustered. "I didn't think the word had gotten out yet. Lilith has recommended that we make use of another astral plane where time moves quicker to keep her and the child safe. She'll barely be gone a day from the view of this world, but I'm sure she'll be restless sitting around for nine months."

"Yes, I'm sure that would be quite stressful for her," Subaki remarked, chuckling a bit. "Have you picked out a name for the child yet?"

"Not yet," Nobu said. "We haven't really even spoken about it."

"May I make a suggestion?" Subaki asked.

"Of course."

Subaki paused, likely for dramatic effect, before stating, "Subaki."

"Erm…" Nobu wasn't sure how to respond to this. "Thank you, Subaki, but according to Orochi, the child will be a girl, so I don't think-"

"The name is gender-neutral," Subaki interrupted.

"Oh! That's uh… that's great. Well, I'll talk to Rinkah about it. Thank you for your suggestion. I'd better get going." With this, Nobu quickly fled the stables.

…

"Hello, Nobu!" Ryoma greeted as his younger brother brushed past. "You're in a hurry. Something wrong?"

"Er, not really," Nobu said. "But I'm sure you've heard that Rinkah is pregnant."

Ryoma smiled. "Yes, news spreads quite quickly through this army."

"Well, all day everyone's been trying to make suggestions for our daughter's name. So far, I've had to turn down Subaki, Felicia, Setsuna, Scarlet, Oboro-"

"What names did they suggest?" Ryoma asked.

"I just said them."

"…Oh."

"Silas actually wanted me to name her after his horse."

"I see the problem," Ryoma remarked. "I suppose now would be a bad time to mention that I think the name 'Ryoma' has a nice ring to it?" Nobu shot him a glare. "I kid, I kid. Have you and Rinkah discussed what you _would_ like to name your child yet?"

"No, we haven't been able to come up with anything," Nobu sighed, feeling defeated. "I'm honestly considering Subaki." Ryoma couldn't help but laugh.

"Lord Nobu!" Hana called, running up to the princes. "Congrats on your kid!"

"Yes, thank you, Hana," Nobu remarked, preparing himself for the inevitable suggestion.

"Have you picked out a name for her yet?"

Ryoma interrupted her. "Nobu's already gotten plenty of suggestions today, so if the best you can come up with is Hana-"

"No, I know what everyone else has been doing," she insisted. "This is a real suggestion. It was actually Lady Sakura's idea. We did some research on common Hoshidan names and found one we thought you would like: 'Kana'. It means 'one who is powerful'."

Nobu's eyes lit up. "Hm… That's a good suggestion. I'll talk it over with Rinkah. Thank you, Hana." As he left towards his private quarters, Ryoma walked over to Hana.

"So… there was no other reason behind you choosing the name Kana?" he asked, crossing his arms and looking at her sternly. Hana's face turned red.

"I-I don't know what you're referring to, Lord Ryoma," she insisted.

"Like the fact that it's only one letter off from your own name?" Hana was nervous that she would get in trouble, but Ryoma instead just grinned. "How long do you think it'll take before he notices?"

"Silas, Takumi, and I are taking bets. My money's on him figuring it out three months after she's born. Silas thinks he'll figure it out sometime before she's born. Takumi thinks he'll figure it out ten years after she's born."

"I see," Ryoma said, crossing his arms again. "I suppose a talk is needed with you three about your recreational activities." Hana started shifting nervously again. "Such as, do you have room for one more?"

Deeply relieved, Hana smiled. "Certainly for you, Lord Ryoma."

"I'll place my bet later, first I have to get some important business done." He started to leave, but stopped. "Is this the only bet you three have done?"

Hana blushed. "I think I hear Lady Sakura calling. Bye!" she said before fleeing rapidly. Ryoma chuckled and shook his head.

"Whatever helps army morale."

 **Okay really though, why is Kana's name so similar to Hana's? Everyone else's name is so original and then we have these two. It's hardly better in the Japanese version (Kazahana and Kanna).**


	6. Happy Birthday, Sakura

"Big brother!" Sakura called as she spotted her sibling across the field. Nobu tensed up momentarily before turning and plastering a smile on his face, though Sakura hardly noticed through her own joy and excitement.

"Hello, Sakura," he greeted as she approached. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, n-no," she responded sheepishly. "I just wanted to talk to you because…" She bashfully turned away. "Well, y-you know."

"Erm… I'm afraid I don't," Nobu replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"…O-Oh," Sakura said, her cheery mood slipping away. "Um… I just wanted to say… that I b-believe my magic has improved lately, so… you can use that in battle, I guess."

"Thank you, Sakura. I'll take that into account." Nobu glanced around impatiently as Sakura shuffled her feet. "I would love to stay and chat, but I'm… er, quite busy, so I'm afraid I'll have to excuse myself."

"O-Okay," Sakura said sadly.

Nobu started to say something else, but quickly took off in the direction he had been heading instead. Fighting back tears, Sakura started to retreat to the dining hall to see if any breakfast was prepared.

"Something the matter, Lady Sakura?" Subaki questioned as she wandered past him.

"Oh, um… y-yes, I suppose," she responded. "I just… I suppose I'm a little disappointed."

"You are?" he questioned. "Is it something I've done? Surely I've lived up to my role as your perfect retainer."

Sakura giggled a little. "Of course, Subaki. It was nothing you did. But big brother - um, Nobu… forgot what today was."

Subaki blinked. "…I'm sorry, what exactly did he forget?"

It took a moment for Sakura to process this. "You mean…?"

"Lady Sakura, forgive me, but I have no idea what you are talking about."

Sakura shook her head. "It's nothing. Forget it. It's not a big deal, I'm just overreacting. Thank you for your time, Subaki." More heartbroken now than before, she fled, her face to the ground so no one would see her crying. Once she was in the safety of her room, she completely lost it and spent the next several minutes sobbing into her pillow.

It was one thing for Nobu to forget - after all, they had only been reunited for a few days. In fact, she didn't entirely know for sure if anyone ever told him when her or any of her siblings' birthdays were. But Subaki, who had been her loyal retainer for years…

"Lady Sakura? Are you in here?"

Sakura quickly wiped her tears and attempted regain her composure. Still, her voice was even shakier than usual when she called, "Come in."

Hana appeared at the door, glancing cautiously in. "Erm, hi."

"Hello Hana," Sakura greeted. "Just out of curiosity… what is today?"

Hana tapped her chin thoughtfully as she made her way to Sakura's bed. "Well, let's see. It's Sunday. The second Sunday in the month of April - Sunday the 9th, which…" A smile quickly grew on her face. "…is also my favorite princess's birthday."

Sakura was surprised to feel more tears coming through her relief. "Thank goodness," she sighed.

"I'm actually hear to ask if you maybe wanted to go on a picnic," Hana explained. "You know, to celebrate."

It was at this moment that Sakura remembered she had not yet had breakfast. "Yes… That sounds like fun."

…

"Where exactly are we going for this picnic?" Sakura asked as she followed Hana. They had passed all of their usual spots - fields of flowers mostly - and were now heading towards a deep forest.

"I'm just looking for…" Hana paused, craning her neck to look around better. She shouted the next part: "… _a special place where we can make special memories?_ " She stopped in her tracks, listening closely. Sakura squinted, even more confused now than she was moments ago.

"Are you okay?" she asked her retainer quietly.

"Of course I am!" Hana responded, laughing nervously, then shouted again, " _I just thought I saw someone else out here._ "

"Um, how about we just stop here and eat?" Sakura offered. "I think you need some food."

"Wait! Wait! I remember!" Hana interrupted, grabbing Sakura's hand and running through the forest. "Right… here. Yeah, this is it. Okay, sit on the rock." Sakura, still concerned for her friend's health, slowly obliged. A wide smile on her face, Hana held the picnic basket out in front of her. "Open it! Open it!"

"Okay?" Sakura said, giggling a little at Hana's strange behavior. She pulled the basket to her lap and slowly unlatched it. As the top came off, hundreds of small streamers and magical images sprung from it. Surprised, Sakura threw the basket to the ground, which gave her a better view of the images: herself, surrounded by her siblings and various other members of the army including Hana and Subaki, holding a birthday cake.

"Surprise!" came a simultaneous shout as the people featured in the image emerged from behind various rocks and trees. As Sakura processed what had just happened, she once again broke into tears.

"Lady Sakura? Are you okay?" Hana asked, suddenly worried.

"I-I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes desperately. "I guess I'm just… so happy that you would all go through all of this effort for me." She smiled brightly as the tears rolled down her face.

"I apologize for deceiving you, Lady Sakura," Subaki stated as he and the others approached her. "It was Lord Nobu's idea to try and surprise you."

"So you did remember," Sakura exclaimed, hugging her big brother.

"Of course I did," Nobu replied. "But it wasn't all my work! Orochi made the basket, and Takumi and Felicia baked you a cake." Surprised, Sakura turned to Takumi, who was holding the cake and standing beside Felicia.

"I didn't know you could bake…" Sakura mused.

"I mostly just made sure Felicia didn't drop anything," Takumi insisted. "Or set anything on fire. …With some exceptions." He fiddled with a singed portion of his robe.

"Oh, don't listen to him," Felicia argued. "He was very helpful."

Takumi blushed. "Are we going to eat or what?"

…

After several hours of enjoying each other's company and devouring Takumi and Felicia's surprisingly delicious cake, most of the partygoers had returned to the castle as the sun began to set, leaving a half-asleep Sakura in the company of her siblings, Rinkah, Silas, Hana, Subaki, Felicia, and Kaze.

Sakura stretched and yawned. She was comfortably leaning against Ryoma's stomach, her eyelids drowsily falling downward.

"Did you have a good birthday, little sister?" Ryoma asked, stroking her hair gently. Sakura's head nodded slightly in response, her eyes just barely open. Ryoma smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Sleep well."

"We should probably take her back to her room," Nobu noted from his position next to Ryoma, reclined against the rock with Rinkah's head on his shoulder.

"Let's let her settle into sleep a bit more before we disturb her," Ryoma stated, brushing a strand of hair off of her peaceful face. Nobu nodded, glancing at his sister lovingly for a moment before turning his attention to his wife.

"Are you drifting off, too, Rinkah?" he teased. Rinkah rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm.

"I'm just enjoying the stars," she responded as Nobu rubbed his new bruise. "They're much brighter here than in the Flame Tribe village. It's… beautiful."

"Lady Rinkah, in all the years I've known you, I do believe this is the first time I've heard you say such a sappy sentence," Kaze noted, standing on the other side of the rock. Rinkah tilted her head back to glare at him.

"I'm not being sappy," she retorted. "It's not often we get the chance to relax in each other's company like this in the middle of a war. I thought I would enjoy it to the fullest."

"That certainly sounds like being sappy," Silas chuckled from his spot under a tree a short distance away. Rinkah's only response was a growl.

"She's right, though," Hana said, crossing over to stand next to Kaze and behind her liege. "This is a special moment. We should take advantage of it." She briefly caught Silas's eye, who blushed.

Hinoka, laying opposite of Nobu with her head on Ryoma's shoulder, suddenly smiled as her eyes lit up. "Do you see that constellation? Just to the right of the castle tower." She pointed at it as the others located it. "Mother used to tell me stories about it. She called it the Hoshidan Dragon and said that it would protect us forever." A tear began to roll down her cheek. "She said it was one of our ancestors, whose love for his family was so strong that, when he died, his spirit placed itself in the sky as stars to watch over them. Since her death… I like to pretend that Mother is up there with him, watching over us, too." Subaki, crouched on the rock behind her, comfortingly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That's beautiful," Felicia said as she started to cry.

"Why are you crying?" Takumi asked, avoiding his own emotions. "You never even met her."

Felicia wiped the tears from her eyes. "It's just such a sweet story." Takumi rolled his eyes.

For a moment, they all sat in silence. "I suppose," Ryoma finally said, hesitating a bit, "that we should head back now. We'll want to get our rest in case of an attack. Not to mention, Sakura is starting to put my legs to sleep." Kaze quickly moved to help the prince to his feet as he cradled the small princess in his arms. As the group slowly made their way across the plains, Takumi suddenly stopped and pointed at the sky.

"What is _that_?" he asked. Following the direction he was pointing, the others saw a group of sparkling stars just next to the Hoshidan Dragon, vaguely forming the shape of a human woman. Compared to the other stars in the sky, the constellation seemed especially bright.

"It's Mother," Hinoka said, barely a whisper. Everyone stared, a mixture of smiles and tears, as a shooting star twinkled across Mikoto's face, creating the illusion of a single tear.

"She misses us, too," Ryoma observed.

"Good night, Mother," Nobu said quietly, squeezing Rinkah's hand. "Sleep well… wherever you are."

…

 **I tried so hard to get this up in time for Sakura's birthday, but I didn't even come up with a plot until 11:00 so I guess I was doomed to fail. It's still Sakura's birthday in some time zones! …I think…**

 **Also, I kind of drifted off plot with the Mikoto thing at the end, but I liked the idea of having kind of the core cast (well, the ones I like the best anyway) just enjoying each other's company. I mean, it would make more sense if this chapter were a little more special… but hey, Sakura's birthday is special enough, right?**

 **Anyway, read and review please!**


	7. Fates of a Family?

**I haven't updated this in a really long time… To be honest, I haven't played** _ **Birthright**_ **in a really long time because I've basically only been playing** _ **Breath of the Wild**_ **and** _ **Heroes**_ **. Whoops.**

 **But I'm determined to beat it now! And I'm actually on the penultimate chapter. But I'm taking another small break before I finish it - bear with me! - because I have some ideas for this story to go with the end! But first, I'd like to get a couple of filler chapters out of the way. So stay tuned for some more plot.**

 **Until then… hope you enjoy this!**

Kana was practically skipping through the castle. There was no reason in particular, but the weather was nice and she couldn't help but be in a good mood. Most of the rest of the army seemed to agree, as she was greeted by sunny smiles from even Takumi and Azama as she headed to her shift at the mess hall.

"Hi, big brother!" she called as she walked past Hayato. Hayato paused when he heard this.

"Were you talking to me?" he asked. Kana stopped and turned back to him.

"Um, yes," she answered. "Something wrong, big brother?"

Hayato raised an eyebrow. "Why are you calling me big brother?"

"…Because you're my big brother?"

"Kana, do you think we're related?"

"Are we not?"

Hayato shook his head. "No, my parents are from the Wind Tribe. Your parents are Nobu and Rinkah."

Kana looked like her entire world had been shattered. "I thought… So you aren't actually papa and mama's son?"

"Of course not," Hayato replied. "Where would you even get that idea?"

"Well… you're always hanging around…" she explained. "You always ask papa for help with stuff like writing letters. And mama is always cooking for you. And then there was that one time when you had a nightmare and asked if you could sleep in their bed. Oh, and you actually call papa your family a lot."

By the time Kana finished talking, Hayato's face was a deep red. "I-I see your point. Wait, have they been treating me like I'm their kid? Does everyone know about this?"

"I don't know."

Hayato was now pacing. "This could be really bad for my reputation. Everyone must think I can't handle myself!"

"Um… Are you okay?" Kana asked, growing increasingly concerned for her companion.

"Ugh, how am I going to recover from this?" he muttered. "Wait! I know! I'll ask Nobu and Rinkah for advice! They'll know what to do!"

"Well, I have to get to the mess hall, so I'm gonna go, okay?" Kana said, backing away slowly.

"Huh? Oh, okay," Hayato said, still distracted. "I guess I'll see you at our family chess match, right?"

Kana nodded eagerly. "Right! I know we'll beat papa and mama this time. See you!" With this, she skipped away. Hayato began to walk to Nobu's private quarters.

"Hm, I wonder if Rinkah will have any food ready…"

… **this is incredibly short and dumb whoops**

 **I really like the idea of Nobu/Corrin, Rinkah, Kana, and Hayato being one big, happy family though.**

 **Before I forget! I have an official Tumblr account for my writing now! Check me out at datnuttykid-writes (dot tumblr dot com)! I'll be posting whenever I update or write a new story or stuff like that. And some other things. So go check it out!**

 **Leave a review if you enjoyed! And if you didn't, let me know why! I'm always looking for ways to improve.**


	8. Career Day with Kana

**Could it be? Another update, so soon?**

 **I actually have one more chapter ready, too… so I'll probably upload it sometime tomorrow (well, today in my time zone, lol.)**

 **Just for clarity, Minori is an Einherjar Shrine Maiden - she was mentioned back in chapters 3 and 4, but she has a slightly bigger role this time. I know Einherjar are supposed to be, like, zombified reincarnations or something like that, but I liked the idea of having my generic characters actually be characters for the sake of this story. I don't know if the others will come up anytime soon, but we'll see.**

"Hi, Subaki!" Kana greeted cheerfully as she stepped into the stables. The redhead was kneeling to groom a child pegasus but stood when he saw the princess.

"Lady Kana," Subaki greeted. "How are you? Do you need something?"

"Great!" she replied. "And no, I don't need anything. Buuuut I do want to talk to you!"

"Is that so?" replied the retainer. "Well, I would be honored. What exactly do you desire to talk about?"

"Wellllll," Kana began to explain, pulling out a notepad, "I've been wanting to help out more around the castle but I don't really know what to do. So papa suggested that I go around and talk with some other people to see what they do and maybe I'll like it, too! And you're first on the list!"

"I see!" Subaki remarked, gently petting the child pegasus as it nuzzled his leg. "It would be my pleasure to assist you. Which of my many talents would you like to know about?"

Kana thought about this. "I don't know. What are your talents?"

Subaki scoffed playfully and adjusted his hair. "Perhaps it would be easier to list what I am not talented at. No, I'm sorry, that's inaccurate - it would not be easier because that list does not exist."

Kana blinked. "Okay. Well, what are you doing right now?"

"Grooming the steeds." Kana blinked again. "The horses, pegasi, and kinshi. Oh, and Scarlet's wyvern."

"Oh! I love steeds! I want to help with that!"

Subaki smiled. "How about you start with this little one here?"

"Okay!" Kana agreed eagerly.

"Now, before you can groom a steed, they must learn to trust you, so you have to approach them very slow-" Subaki quickly realized Kana had already run up and was now trying to hug the terrified pegasus, who had backed himself into the corner of his stall.

"I don't think he likes me," Kana remarked, pouting. Subaki laughed nervously.

"Yes, errr… this one is a bit shy," he bluffed. "Let's try another one. But first, you must remember to - Kana, where are you going? Wait, no!" Subaki dove as Kana moved to pet a horse which was not facing her, scooping her up before she could inevitably startle it and spinning around before placing her back on the ground. "You can't sneak up on a horse from behind like that, or they'll kick."

"Oh, okay," Kana replied. "Do they kick if you stand behind them and yell?"

"Well, of course they do," Subaki replied. "Why?"

Kana pointed at the horse. Before Subaki could turn to look at it, he received two hooves straight to the gut.

…

"U-Um… Subaki, are you alright?" Sakura asked anxiously as she was brought into the room by Minori.

"Just perfect, milady," Subaki replied through the pain. "However… I am a bit concerned about the status of the internal organs. Would you mind checking on them for me?"

"How did this even happen?" Minori asked Kana, who was sitting, worriedly, nearby.

"He yelled behind a horse," she replied simply. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"I think so," Sakura replied. "S-Subaki, why would you yell behind a h-horse?"

Subaki shook his head. "I'd rather not explain in detail. But I was trying to teach Miss Kana here what it takes to work in a stable."

"I don't think that's a good job for me," Kana mumbled, clearly upset. "I'll have to try a different job."

"You're looking for a job you can do?" Minori asked. "What about healer?"

Kana's eyes lit up. "Do you think I could be a healer?"

"Um… Sure," Sakura said, as eagerly as she could muster.

Minori grinned. "You've trained with staves before, right?"

"Not a lot…" Kana replied, jumping out of the chair to walk over to the two Shrine Maidens.

"Here, why don't you try to heal Subaki's wounds?" Minori suggested. "They aren't too bad."

Kana grinned as Minori handed her the staff. "Wow! This staff is so pretty!"

"J-Just be careful with it," Sakura warned. "They break easily."

Kana nodded. "I promise I will! Okay, so now I wave it, right?" Without waiting for a response, she swung it into the air… and right into Subaki's head, snapping the staff in two with a horrifying crack.

"Subaki!" Sakura shouted, frightened.

"Don't worry, Lady Sakura," Subaki said, forcing a smile. "That cracking sound _probably_ wasn't my neck."

…

"I hear you had some issues working with Lady Sakura and Minori."

Kana nodded at her new teacher: Azama. "They thought I might be better off here where there aren't any patients I might hurt." She thought about this. "Am I a bad healer if I hurt people?"

"Why, certainly!" Azama replied bluntly.

"Oh."

"You'll need quite a bit of training to overcome such a hurdle. It may take months, even years to change… if you change at all!"

"…Oh."

"Such is the way of life. Sometimes you can do things, and other times not."

"Um…" Kana said, "I think I'm gonna find another job to learn about."

"Well, if you insist. Farewell."

"Um… yeah. Okay."

…

"You want to be a maid?" Felicia asked eagerly.

"Sure! It sounds like fun!" Kana replied. "I like to help people."

Felicia smiled broadly. "Well, that's great! That's the first step! See, you're already learning so much!"

"I am?" Kana asked. "That's good! I don't want to wait years."

Nearby, Jakob rolled his eyes. "Pathetic, Felicia. I knew you were a horrid maid, but a terrible trainer, too?"

Felicia crossed her arms and pouted. "You don't have to be mean. I'm trying to be encouraging. Surely you can appreciate that."

Jakob scoffed. "Encouragement isn't the only ingredient to a successful lesson! If I had relied only upon Lord Nobu's encouragement, I never would have become the accomplished butler I am today. You see, it took not only Lord Nobu's kind words, but also the strict and intimidating hand of Gunter."

"But she's Lord Nobu's daughter. You can't be mean to her."

Kana jumped in between them. "No! I don't want to be treated special!" she insisted. "Do your worst, Jakob!"

…

Jakob hurried out of the kitchen to handle the flaming pot of boiling water properly.

"I don't think I'm cut out to be a maid," Kana remarked, removing the scorched apron.

"M-Maybe not," Felicia agreed as she rocked back and forth in the corner.

…

"You desire to learn more about what I do?" Reina asked. "Well, I would be delighted to teach you, Lady Kana. You see, my favorite hobby… is killing. Some call it a necessity of war, but I appreciate it for what it is: an art. There are many ways to kill someone. Slitting their throat. Stabbing their heart. Puncturing their lungs. One of the most enjoyable is to chop them into bits. But it's only truly pleasurable if you hear their blood-curdling scream as they feel the cold metal of your weapon slice through their skin like a knife through butter. And not a hot knife - that wouldn't be painful enough. Ah, that reminds me: you may want to try killing someone by coating them in boiling liquid. It is not practical in battle, but it is quite gratifying whenever you get the chance! Now, I believe we have a Nohrian prisoner in need of executing… Would you like to assist me?"

Kana's jaw dangled open.

…

"I know you've had a hard time with your other career choices, my dear Kana," Orochi remarked as she sat in front of her crystal ball and deck of cards, "but I assure you, there can be no harm in divination! Now, let's find out if you have the gift."

Kana's eyes went wide. "I didn't know I had to bring you a gift! I'm sorry!"

Orochi laughed. "Not that kind of gift. The gift of foresight!"

"Oh, okay. How do I know if I have the gift?"

"Just stare into the crystal ball… ask it your question… read the cards… and close your eyes," Orochi demonstrated as she spoke. "Then, you will receive your answer."

Kana nodded eagerly and proceeded to stare at the crystal ball, glanced at the cards, and shut her eyes tight. "I… I see something! Orochi, I really see something!"

"That's wonderful!" Orochi cheered. "Describe it to me!"

"I see… Someone sitting in front of me… um, they have purple hair… Oh! It's you, Orochi! I see you sitting across from me!" Kana popped her eyes open. Orochi looked unimpressed. "Wow! My vision came true! I really do have the gift!"

…

Kana pouted as she sat at the table. Her cousins, Midori and Kiragi, and their friend, Sophie, sat nearby, chattering.

"…and because Subaki was so badly injured, I get to run the stable on my own tonight!" Sophie was saying. Kana grimaced.

"Do you want my help?" Kiragi asked. Sophie blushed. They had been going steady for a little less than a week now and were still pretty uncomfortable together in public.

"If you don't mind," she replied.

"I wonder if I can whip up some medicine to help Subaki," Midori mused. "Speaking of which, how did your hunt for a job go, Kana?"

"Not good," Kana replied, still pouting. "I got Subaki kicked by a horse, broke one of Minori's staves, set a pot of water on fire, and Orochi says I don't have 'the gift'. And that's not even mentioning what Azama and Reina did to _me_."

"How did you set a pot of water on fire?" Kiragi asked. Kana threw her hands up.

"Well, maybe you don't need a specific job," Sophie offered.

Kana shook her head. "Of course I do! You all have your things. Kiragi's a hunter, Midori's an apothecary, and Sophie works in the stable. But all I can do is turn into a dragon."

"Well, you haven't tried everything yet," Midori said. "Let's think of the other jobs. You could be the princess of Hoshido!"

Kana shook her head again. "I'd have to wait forever for that. Ryoma, Hinoka, papa, Azura, Takumi, Sakura, Shiro, and Caeldori are all ahead of me in line for the throne, I think."

"Can you sing like Azura?" Sophie asked.

"I don't know," Kana replied, then opened her mouth to try. Midori and Kiragi quickly put their hands over her mouth.

"She can't," they interrupted. Kana returned to pouting and pulled out her notepad again, scribbling on it.

"What are you drawing?" Kiragi questioned.

"Oh, just random sketches," Kana replied. Sophie, Kiragi, and Midori moved to look over her shoulder.

"It looks like a grid," Midori remarked.

"Are those the army members?" Sophie asked.

Kana nodded. "It's an idea for what we could do in a battle. I'm thinking, if we have this group go over here, the enemies won't see us coming."

Kiragi observed the paper. "Huh… you're probably right. Wait, how do you know how to do this?"

Kana shrugged. "It's kind of a math thing. And I like math."

Midori, Sophie, and Kiragi's eyes lit up. "Kana! There you have it!" Midori announced.

"Have what?"

"You're a tactician!"

Now Kana's eyes lit up, too. "That's a thing?"

"Sure!" Kiragi agreed. "Robin's a tactician. And so is Yukimura!"

"Wow! So I had something I could do all along!" Kana grabbed her notepad and pocketed it. "I gotta go talk to Robin right away and learn more!"

Midori, Kiragi, and Sophie watched as she ran off. "Do you think she's gonna spill something on the battle plan, break Robin's pen, or set his robe on fire?" Sophie asked.

"All of the above," Midori and Kiragi replied.

 **clumsy Kana is the best Kana**

 **even though there's literally no canon reason to believe she's clumsy**

… **and there's actually quite a bit of canon evidence that she is not**

 **who asked you guys anyway**

 **Uh, anyway**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a review! And if you didn't, let me know why! Thanks, guys!**


	9. A Maid's Memory & A Vision of Violence

**Warning! This will be the first chapter to contain what can be undeniably considered spoilers from Birthright. The next several chapters will likely contain similar spoilers. Don't read if you don't want to know!**

Takumi took a deep breath before stepping through the door into the accessory shop. He was filled with a combination of relief and concern when he saw Felicia, the love of his life, standing across the counter. "Felicia," he said, catching her attention. "Nobu said you were working here today."

"You were looking for me?" she asked, blushing. "Is something wrong?"

Another deep breath. She looked so cute when she blushed… not that this was the best time to be thinking about that. "N-No, I just… wanted to make sure you were… okay." Takumi wasn't sure how to say it that wouldn't come across as insulting. Felicia hadn't mentioned it since it happened, but everyone in the army knew she must be hurting. Felicia, who felt so deeply for everyone, had to be crushed by the tragic death of her twin sister.

Felicia feigned confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I-I just… You haven't talked to me - or, well, anyone - and you're taking extra shifts at the shops… Like right now."

She turned around and pretended to take stock in order to hide her face. "I'm just fine. You know I like helping out."

"Felicia?" Takumi called gently. Felicia turned back to him. "Promise me you'll come talk to me if you need to."

A small smile appeared on the maid's face as she placed her hand over her husband's. "I promise." Takumi smiled, too. "Can I get back to work now?"

"Uh, actually…" Takumi said, "there is one more thing. I-If you think you'll be okay with it."

Felicia made a face. "Okay with it? What is it?"

"Well, um… You just have to come see." Takumi grabbed her hand and guided her outside and across the field.

"I'm really not supposed to leave the shop," Felicia argued futilely.

"Less stuff will be damaged while you're gone, I'm sure," Takumi fired back. Felicia pouted but didn't argue.

"What are we going to see?" Before Takumi could respond, Felicia saw a giant structure covered by a tarp. Several of the members of the army were gathered around, including Nobu and Jakob. "Um… What's going on?"

"Well, Takumi and Jakob had an idea for how we could honor Flora properly…" Nobu explained.

"It took a lot of work," Takumi said. "Orochi had to cast, like, a million charms on it to make sure it wouldn't melt. And we shattered a ton of carving tools working on it…"

Jakob nodded, though Felicia only felt more confused. "I do believe it was worth it, though. Lord Nobu, would you do the honors?"

Nobu nodded and pulled back the tarp, revealing a massive ice statue, carved into the shape of none other than Flora, looking elegant as ever and surrounded by streams of ice and two horses. On the base, a message was carved, reading: "In memory of Flora. Beloved sister, ally, and friend. Strong until her final breath." But by the time Felicia read this, tears were already streaming down her face. Overwhelmed, she turned and wrapped her arms around Takumi, burying her face in his chest to muffle her sobs.

Takumi's eyes widened as he tensed up, looking at Nobu, Jakob, and the others and mouthing, "What's happening?" Nobu cautiously stepped towards them.

"Felicia… are you okay?" he asked.

"Of course," she responded, removing herself from Takumi. "It's just… If she saw what you all did for her, it would mean so much…" She fruitlessly attempted to wipe the tears from her face as they were rapidly replaced. "It's… beautiful. Thank you all so much." This time, she pulled Nobu and Jakob into the hug with an even stiffer Takumi, who only became more uncomfortable as Sakura, Hinoka, Orochi, Hayato, Kaden, Silas, Hana, Azura, and Subaki all joined in.

Ryoma stood to the side, grinning as his socially awkward younger brother attempted to squirm away from the crowd of people, before finally deciding to speak up. "I hate to be the stick in the mud again," he called, drawing everyone's attention, "but we must continue to Nohr as quickly as possible before Hoshido falls."

"Yes, of course," Nobu agreed as everyone moved back. "Felicia, I hope you know that you can take however much time you need to mourn."

"Thank you, milord," Felicia said, "but I can't justify that. Fighting for what's right through the pain is what Flora would have done… and it's the best way I can honor her."

Nobu smiled. "I agree. We must continue to fight, for the sake of Flora and all the others we have lost… And to avoid such tragedy in the future."

As the army marched away, more prepared than ever to fight, Orochi lingered, a frown on her face. As he passed, Kaden paused and looked at her, quickly becoming worried.

"Uh, Orochi, you okay?" Kaden asked. "You're usually bubblier than this. What's with the frown?"

"I'm afraid I'm not okay…" she responded gravely as she turned to look at him. "I've looked to the end of the war… and though I'm not sure of the outcome, I've seen some… negative signs."

"Really?" the kitsune asked curiously, even his infectious grin fading at Orochi's atypical pessimism. "Well, is it possible you saw wrong?"

"I suppose," she answered. "But I have never experienced that before. And my last vision of the sort was the death of Queen Mikoto."

Kaden frowned. "Well… what exactly did you see?"

"Let me put it this way. I do not believe Lord Nobu's wishes will be coming true…"

"Oh." Kaden scratched his ear thoughtfully. "What does that mean?"

Orochi sighed. "There is much more tragedy ahead."

 **And with that ominous prediction, we begin our journey to the climax of Birthright…**

 **But don't worry! I have plans for this story even after the war has ended. But… there will be some fairly significant changes. I'll tell you about those later, though.**

 **Until then, let me know if you enjoyed! And if you didn't, tell me what's up! I'd like to know what people think about my writing.**


	10. Alone

Nobu gently laid the fish upon the pedestal. It had become something of a habit - not that he didn't enjoy caring for the dragon-woman who had done so much to protect him - but had never felt quite this painful.

This time, instead of the cheerful face of his bird-like companion, all Nobu saw was the blood-stained headpiece she used to wear. "Oh, Lilith…" he mumbled, choking back tears. Unable to stand it any longer, he briskly turned around and left the temple, failing to notice a small, blue light flicker as the fish slowly faded away.

Once he started walking, he didn't stop. He didn't have any goal in mind - he certainly wasn't planning on retiring to bed, if only to avoid the nightmares that had haunted him endlessly for the last several nights - but he kept walking, out of the castle and into the expanse of the astral plane. By this point, the tears were flowing as the memories replayed in his head…

His mother, impaled by the sword he had brought to her kingdom.

The village girl from what felt like so long ago now, crushed by the Faceless when he failed to help her.

Flora, lighting herself on fire out of the shame of betraying him.

Camilla, bruised, broken, and unconscious from the fight with him.

Lilith, a gash across her stomach from protecting him.

Elise, begging for the fighting to stop with her last breath.

And Xander, the denial of Elise's last wish, collapsed dead in his arms.

Even Leo's words echoed in his mind. At the time, the moody Nohrian prince had assured Nobu they were lies fed by anger, frustration, and a feeling of worthlessness. But now Nobu considered their truth.

Maybe he was a traitor. After all the pain he had caused for the people who cared for him so deeply, how could he consider himself anything but? And now, with the final battle against Garon looming over him, how could he be strong enough to save all of Hoshido and Nohr if he wasn't strong enough to save his family?

The dragon prince stumbled in his sprint, crashing into a puddle as the rain began to pour down. The abnormality of the poor weather in the astral plane was lost on him as he wiped the mud off his face.

"What am I even doing?" he asked in a whisper, then in a scream: " _Why am I here?!_ "

As he collapsed into sobs, a gentle hand reached down to his shoulder, comfortingly rubbing it. "I'm so sorry," a soft voice whispered. Confused and a little shocked to hear someone else, Nobu turned to see the spirit of Queen Mikoto standing over him.

"Mother…?" he whispered softly, wondering if his eyes were tricking him.

"My beautiful son," she said, offering her hand to pull him to his feet. "I'm so proud of you."

"Mother… how can you be proud of me? I-I've failed you…"

Mikoto placed a finger to his lips. "Shh! Don't say that! You could never fail me. This isn't your fault."

Nobu's breathing began to steady, though the tears refused to stop. "What do you mean?"

"This goes so much deeper than you can ever know, my child. But you've been so strong… I am so sorry you have to carry the burden created by the actions of me and your father on your shoulders."

"King Sumeragi? What does he have to do with this?"

"I'm sorry I can't tell you more… But please know that I love you, no matter what. And I am always with you."

"N-No, don't go! Mother, I can't do this alone…"

Mikoto smiled gently. "Oh, Nobu. You're not alone. Please… tell your brothers and sisters… I miss them…" With these last words, Mikoto's spirit faded back into the stars.

"Nobu!" another voice called. Wiping his eyes and wondering if he his visit with Mikoto was all in his imagination, Nobu turned to see Rinkah approaching. He moved to meet her in the middle.

"What are you doing up?" he asked.

"You didn't come to bed," she replied. "I… assumed you might be out here somewhere."

It was now that Nobu realized this was the exact same spot where they had held Sakura's birthday celebration. "No wonder…"

"What?"

"Err… never mind. Why did you come looking for me?"

Rinkah smiled and took Nobu's hand. "Do you remember what you told me before we were married?" Nobu furrowed his brow, unsure which conversation she was referring to. "You said, 'We're at war. Nothing is certain. One day we celebrate, the next day we may be mourning. But I have to believe there's some kind of order to things.'"

Nobu nodded. "'And so I think we were fated to meet as we did, and that we should be grateful for it.' Yes, I remember that conversation."

"That was the moment I realized why I loved you," Rinkah said, bringing a blush to her husband's face. "Your ability to stay optimistic in the most painful circumstances… it's what keeps the army fighting. And it's very admirable." She planted a kiss on Nobu's hand. "But even you have your limits. These last few days have been painful. I needed to make sure you remember that you're not alone in this."

When Rinkah said these words, Nobu's breath caught. He looked up at the sky, where the constellation of Mikoto twinkled overhead. He could have sworn it even winked.

"Uh, Nobu?" Rinkah spoke, catching the prince's attention again.

"You're right, Rinkah," he said, releasing her hand and beginning to pace in circles. "We're not alone. Despite everything that's happened… we're here, together. And as long as that's true, we're unstoppable." He stopped and grinned. "Garon won't even know what hit him."

Rinkah smirked. "There he is. You know, you're pretty hot when you're confident."

Nobu blushed, though he was still grinning. "Coming from the daughter of the Flame Tribe's chief, that's high praise." He gently cupped his wife's face. "Have I told you how much I love you?" he asked before kissing her. When he pulled away, he turned and ran back to the castle. "I have to start working on battle plans!"

Rinkah smiled, a faint blush visible. "Go get 'em, Nobu."

… **I will go down with this ship**

 **I'm a little concerned Rinkah isn't quite in character, but she shows such a range of emotions in game… I don't know. What do you guys think?**

 **Probably… one more chapter to get to the end! I'm actually going to play the final two chapters of Birthright to figure out exactly what I want to do, lol. In the author's note at the end of the next chapter, I'll let you know what my plans are for continuing this story!**

 **Let me know what you think! Honestly, I get barely any reviews on my stories anymore. If you liked, hated, or vaguely tolerated this story, please let me know! It's very hard to keep writing when I don't get any feedback. Thanks!**


	11. Whispers on the Wind

**I did it! I completed Birthright!**

 **It only took me two turns to take down Dragon!Garon and one of those turns was just getting close to him. And Izana landed the final blow. I don't think I'll ever get over that. (Of course, Takumi landed the final blow to Human…ish!Garon… poor Nobu just can't be the hero of his own story.)**

 **Oh, right, I'm supposed to be writing a story, not just summarizing my Birthright experience. I should probably start that now.**

 _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

"What do you mean I'm not coming with you?" Rinkah barked, following Nobu as he exited their quarters.

"I mean you're not coming with us," he replied simply.

Rinkah scowled even harder, if that's possible. "You can't be serious. Didn't we just have this conversation last night?"

"Yes," Nobu responded, now descending the ladder dangling from their tree, "and I'm not going alone. I've picked fifteen of our strongest allies to help."

"Yeah, including our daughter, but not me!" Rinkah didn't even bother with the ladder, instead jumping down once Nobu was safely on the ground. "That's completely unacceptable!"

Nobu sighed and turned around, putting his arms on his wife's shoulders. "Rinkah, you don't understand. I need you here. This is a dangerous and important mission. Ryoma, Hinoka, Azura, and I all need to be there… and if something goes wrong-"

"Nothing is going to go wrong."

" _If_ something goes wrong… we need someone we can trust to keep the army together and fighting. That's you."

Rinkah frowned. "Nobu…"

"Please, Rinkah. Stay here. Stay safe. Keep the light alive."

"Only if you promise to come back to me."

Nobu gently kissed her forehead. "I promise."

 _Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach…_

Orochi tentatively knocked on the wall next to the curtain. "Archduke Izana? Are you in there?"

"Please, call me Izana!" came the response. "Come on in!"

Orochi cautiously stepped into his room. "I was wondering… You can tell fortunes, right?"

"That's right!" the archduke replied cheerily. "But not for free! I'm a descendant of gods, you know. That kind of family tree doesn't come cheap."

"Yes, well, my request is actually for Lord Nobu," Orochi explained. "In a sort of roundabout way."

"Is that so? Well, tell me more!"

"I need you to see if you can confirm a vision I had."

 _Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time…_

"Takumi, you've been practicing for hours," Ryoma said with a sigh. "You're going to wear yourself out."

"I'm not resting until I'm good enough to defeat Garon," the younger Hoshidan prince replied, taking aim at a dummy before releasing an arrow straight through its chest.

" _That_ isn't good enough?" Felicia questioned, motioning towards the stack of identically destroyed dummies. Takumi grunted and motioned for Oboro to set up another dummy, an order with which she reluctantly complied. As the archer stood impatiently, Ryoma's eye was suddenly drawn to his bow.

"Takumi, where is the Fujin Yumi? Why are you not practicing with it?" He paused, taking a closer look at that weapon. "Is that… mother's?"

Takumi frowned, looking at the grass. "Yukimura gave it to me…" he admitted shyly. "I thought maybe… if I used it, it would be like she was here… so she could be proud of me."

"Lord Takumi, I think that's the most heartfelt thing I've ever heard you say," Oboro gushed.

Felicia's eyes were watering and she ran to hug her prince, kissing him on the cheek as he stiffened up. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm proud of you."

Oboro was close behind the maid. "Me too, Lord Takumi!"

"Okay, can we stop with the mushy stuff now?" Takumi asked, blushing.

"You know you love the mushy stuff," Felicia replied as both women hugged tighter.

Ryoma walked over, placing one hand on his brother's shoulder and the other on his wife's. Oboro blushed and shifted her affection to the older Hoshidan prince. "You don't need to prove yourself, Takumi. You're talented and everyone sees it. Now, go get some rest. We'll be leaving the astral plane soon."

Takumi scowled and started to protest. "That's an order, Takumi," Ryoma interrupted. The younger prince rolled his eyes, but nodded and even smiled a little as he left, Felicia close behind.

Now alone with Oboro, Ryoma turned to make eye contact. "Take care of our son."

"Don't you dare talk like that," Oboro said, her face starting to twist into her signature demonic glare. "Otherwise I'm coming with you to make sure you don't go running into danger all willy-nilly. Remember, you still have an entire kingdom relying on you being their king!"

Ryoma smiled. "Yes, you're right. I promise I won't rush into anything too perilous. And when I return…" He leaned close and kissed her hand. "We will rule Hoshido together, my queen."

Oboro's face flushed.

 _The path is yours to climb…_

"Lady Azura, catch!"

"Hinata, I've told you, you don't have to call me 'Lady Azura' now that we're married, and I'm not very good at- oh!" Despite her claims, the bag tossed by her husband landed square in her hands. "Ah… are these more bamboo shoots? We've talked about this, too."

"I know. But since this is such a big fight and you're going alone… I thought it was important that you have some more. You know, to remember me by. Hisame and Shigure helped me pick them," Hinata explained as the couple's two sons came into the room.

Azura had to smile. "I don't need anything to remember you by, Hinata. I love you." She kissed him as Hisame and Shigure averted their eyes. "But I appreciate the thought. Here, how about this?" She pierced a small hole through one of the smaller shoots, then ran the chain of her pendant through it. "This way, my three men will be with me even as I face King Garon." Hisame quickly moved to help get the pendant back around his mother's neck as she moved her hair out of the way. Once this was done, Azura gave them each a hug, caressing her sons' faces and giving her husband another kiss. "I'll see you all again very soon. I promise."

As she left the barracks, Shigure emerged close behind her. "Mother, wait!" he called.

"Shigure? Is something wrong?" she asked, turning back to him.

"N-No, I just…" The boy paused, attempting to get his thoughts and emotions back in order. "I can't stop thinking… what could happen to you while you're fighting…"

Azura's eyes began to water as she embraced her older son once more. "Remember what I used to tell you whenever your father and I would leave your Deeprealm?" she asked in a whisper.

Shigure nodded. "That if I sang our song and thought of you, the time would pass before I knew it. I-I can try that."

Azura pulled back, looking into Shigure's eyes. "As long as you remember that song, I will always be with you. Just as my mother is with me."

He nodded again. "Goodbye, mother. And good luck."

Azura turned away again, leaving to meet Nobu and the rest of the army at the castle gates. As she walked away, she looked at her pendant, wishing she had gotten the chance to tell her family about its powers…

As the sound of the army marching away echoed throughout the camp, Shigure sat at his easel and began to paint and sing, easing his worries.

 _In endless dreams, countless realms collide…  
Hope falls, only to rise like the changing tides…_

"Nobu!" Ryoma cried as the young prince collapsed at the power of Garon's attack.

"Orochi's vision…" Izana muttered, frozen in horror.

"Papa?" Kana gasped. Reina was quick to grab the draconic child, hiding her face and holding her tight.

"You can't stop now, Nobu…" Azura whispered. "Please, come back…"

 _But all dreams come to an end…  
Just whispers on the wind…_

"My friends… I need to go back… I need to keep fighting!"

Elise gripped her older brother's arm as Nobu returned to the fight. "Are they going to be okay?"

"I believe in him," Lilith interrupted, then immediately blushed. "All of them, I mean."

Flora smiled. "And Nobu is an excellent leader."

"I concur," Xander said with a nod. "But now all we can do is watch…"

 _Sing with me one last time for light's sacrifice…_

"…That's the first time you've ever done that," Azura remarked, a grin spreading across her face.

"Done what?" Nobu asked, confused.

"Asked me to sing! It makes me happy to contribute to the cause."

"Well, we need all the help we can get. But not at the expense of your life!"

"I know. I'm sorry to worry you… But here I go!"

As Azura's pendant began to glow, music filled the air and Azura sang her song, causing Garon to cry in pain and anger. Nobu and the others quickly moved to strike the dragon while he was down, dodging the attacks of his soldiers.

"Lady Azura," Robin's voice called. "Stay close. I'll make sure no one interrupts you."

Azura nodded but didn't stop her singing.

 _Endless dawn came but not without a price…_

"NO! YOU WILL NOT SUCCEED!" Garon roared as he was quickly surrounded by Nobu, Ryoma, Takumi, Kaden, Kaze, and Izana, as well as Azura's song still echoing from nearby. "GET BACK BEFORE I DESTROY YOU ALL!" However, his protests were in vain as the attacks flew at him.

 _Lost in the waves there glimmers..._

A spiritual dragon emerged from Izana's papers, ramming Garon and knocking him back. "Now, Nobu!" he shouted. Nobu swung the Blazing Yato as he leaped at the corrupted king, piercing through his skull.

… _a pale blue stone…_

"Were those the delirious ramblings of a dying man… or something more?"

"Lord Nobu! Come quick!"

"Robin? Is something…?"

Worn out and in horrible pain, Azura slumped to the floor.

… _I think of you all alone._

Rinkah ran to embrace Nobu and Kana as they returned through Lilith's orb to the astral realm. The rest of the army members similarly ran to their loved ones; few faces were dry of tears of joy and relief. But as Nobu pulled away from his wife, his eye fell on one family still searching for their beloved.

As the prince somberly approached, Shigure fell to his knees.

 _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

 **augh my heart hurts**

 **There you have it. The adventures of Nobu and his army have come to a close… for now.**

 **Which means it's time for me to tell my plans for this story!**

 **I'm going to start replaying Fates with a new character; this time, the female avatar! So starting with the next chapter, this story will follow the adventures of Persephone and her army. (To be clear, because I'm broke and can't afford Conquest or Revelations, this will still be Birthright.) So expect more light-hearted one-shots soon! I'll probably go for different relationships this time around (and I'm going to TRY to not let Mozu die). If you have a relationship you'd like to see me feature, let me know! I won't definitely use every suggestion but I'll take them into consideration! (The hardest part will be picking a husband for Persephone…)**

 **As for Nobu? Well, I have an idea for him, too. If you're curious about that, be sure to follow me. Or I'll mention it once I get it up. Which might take awhile.**

 **Uh, yeah, that's it. I'm really excited to start Persephone's story and I hope you guys are excited to read it! Leave a review telling me what you think! Thanks!**


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